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Saturday, April 30, 2011

i had a free movie pass i earned from awhile back that was due to expire this weekend so justin and i took the opportunity to have a little date night. this movie was not necessarily at the top of our list to see but it was showing at a convenient time for our sitter and was something we both agreed looked interesting. i'm glad we saw it!

based on the book the dark fields, limitless tells the story of a writer who happens upon a drug (NZT) that allows him to reach untapped parts of his brain and essentially become a better version of himself. it reminds me of the type of ethical dilemma posited in philosphy class where you dicuss id vs. ego vs. super-ego. bradley cooper does a great job narrating this and it's fun watching him "turn it on" when he's on NZT. though it starts off a little slow, things quickly get exciting.

there are alot of gaps in the storyline but it's still a fun movie to watch if you're able to willingly suspend your disbelief. robert de niro and abbie cornish are also entertaining to watch and at only 105 minutes, it's not a bad way to relax together away from the little one for a bit.

it's spring and both strawberries and rhubarb are in season! there are tons of recipes for strawberry rhubarb pie out there and they are all pretty easy so i decided to make my own adaptation. some of them call for tapioca but i decided to go with a very simple recipe below.

place bottom crust in 9-in pie pan. mix first four ingredients in a bowl and set aside. pour half of the fruit in the pan. sprinkle half of the mixture over the fruit. pour the other half of the fruit in. sprinkle the rest of the mixture on the fruit. dot with butter. (for some of my more cooking/baking challenged friends, cut the butter into multiple pats and place on top of fruit in random spots) place second crust on top and bake at 450 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

i was lazy and cheated. it is not hard to make your own pie crust but it was really sooo convenient to buy one ready made. if you make your own, you may only need to cook at 425. the 450 was according to the directions on the pre-made crust. also, i didn't do the fun and fancy lattice top (i was feeling lazy, remember?) so if you don't do that either, make sure to cut a few vents in the top crust. overall, super easy and delicious!

i ended up making another pie for an easter gathering and though i still didn't make a lattice top, i took a star cookie cutter and placed stars all over the top. i think it turned out pretty great!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Monday, April 25, 2011

since the pandi gets up pretty early, we decided to take her to a sunrise service. the carlsbad flower fields has hosted the fields church for the past 8 years. it was a lovely service set right alongside the ranunculus and the pandi may have distracted/entertained the people sitting near us with a little sermon of her own.

we also dyed her first easter eggs and had a mini egg "hunt" in the backyard. basically, we set some right in her line of sight and got a few fun shots of her enjoying the eggs.

and we were blessed to be invited to our california family's home for an easter meal and second egg hunt. i think saraya had a little crush on cade. at the very least, she was asking him what it was like to be so mobile...

well here is my long-awaited (at least for me) recap. i learned a lot from this challenge. i learned that all of those times i've said "i don't have anything to wear!," it has been a big fat lie. i learned that i am more creative than i give myself credit for sometimes. i learned that accessories are awesome ways to make an outfit seem new or different. and i learned that the pandi loves taking pictures with the mama as much if not more than when i take them of just her.

i will definitely do this challenge again sometime. it was a big help in cleaning out my closet and in giving me a more critical eye when shopping. i hope you enjoyed watching my little experiment as much as i enjoyed doing it. feel free to let me know which outfit/pieces were your favorites and how you might have styled anything differently. did i leave out a combo that you think would have worked well? and if any of you try this, i'd love to see!

Friday, April 22, 2011

happy earth day! last year i talked about the origins of earth day and decided to focus my personal contributions on marine conservation. this year i'd like to just share some great deals and promote environmental education in general.

if you're looking for a fun and useful craft idea, try making boxes from old greeting cards. if you're anything like me, you've got a stash of super cute/beautiful/original, etc christmas cards on file. even after i've saved the addresses i'm still hesitant to throw them away. this craft allows you to repurpose those beautiful cards so you feel better about getting rid of them...

another thing you may want to get rid of? kids clothes and toys. the pandi is growing at a monstrous rate and we just don't have the storage to keep everything "just in case" the eventual #2 is a girl. (this is not a hint of any kind) also, it's hard to justify spending tons of money on things she hardly gets to use before she's moving up to the next size. that's why i like the idea of swapping kid's clothes and saving money. for $5 you get a box of goods and you can sell your gently used kids' stuff too. they even pay for the box and shipping.

this week is also national park week. it ends on sunday so if you're looking for something to do this weekend (outside of church, brunch and easter egg hunts), pay a visit to a national park for free. or if you'd like to see some trees but don't have the time to drive to a national park, maybe you can plant one in your own backyard. on saturday only, you can pick up free trees from lowes.

and today, take your reusable mug into a starbucks to get free coffee or tea.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

another cute and comfortable outfit. you could never tell by the smile in this picture that i forgot my wallet at the restaurant. luckily, it was turned into lost and found with eveything in it! just one more day left...

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

so i'm changing up this wednesday blog a bit. since i don't always feature dinner, it makes more sense to talk about what's cooking. that covers any meal of the day as well as meals i may or may not make myself.

today i wanted to feature something to do with lamb. lamb is a great dish for the easter season, but not everyone appreciates its distinct flavor. i guess the same can be said of asparagus. i've made lamb chops and leg of lamb on the grill and in the oven, but i wanted to try something different this time. i found this simple recipe. it was not my favorite way to prepare lamb but it wasn't bad either. i already know some changes i'd make if i do cook this again though.

first, saute some onions and garlic in olive oil.

add the cubed, boneless lamb. i season at this point with ground sea salt, fresh ground pepper, trader joe's 21 seasoning salute.

add a cup of dry white wine (i used a chardonnay).

chop up some asparagus!

and then the recipe didn't call for it but i though orzo would go well with this meal.

so, another thing i would change is to add lemon and capers. those flavors are really complimentary to asparagus. i might also add just a bit of red pepper flakes. overall the dish wasn't bad but it definitely felt like it was missing something. what sounds like it would be good to you?

Monday, April 18, 2011

i finished my 8th of 12 5Ks. it was the first one i've done without the pandi so i didn't have the stroller to use as an excuse for jogging slower. it was held along the beautifully scenic la jolla shores. i was planning on running alone but on the shuttle ride from parking to the start i met a really cool lady who was meeting another friend and her daughter. by the time we got to the start, jaye and i were like old friends chatting about everything from the military to babies. we ended up running together and it was really nice to have someone to encourage me when i felt like stopping. my time was nothing to brag about (33:30) but it felt good to run. i'm sure my quads will not be thanking me soon though. and after the run, i got to have breakfast on the beach with some friends who were in town for a wedding. speaking of weddings...

justin and i went to the wedding of our good friends luke and jordan. we've known luke for years, having met him when we lived in hawaii. after we all left the island, luke met a wonderful girl named jordan. i liked her from the moment i met her and i always love when they come to visit. their wedding was a very lovely, intimate beach wedding here in san diego. jordan was a gorgeous bride and luke couldn't stop smiling. we had so much fun! i can't wait for them to make a little playmate for the pandi. speaking of the pandi...

she's still the cutest ever! her weekend was full of swim lessons, being babysat by her auntie coryn and uncle art, and tasting treats at the farmer's market. one of our favorites are the refreshing coconuts from conscious coconuts. greg and melinda do all the hard work, providing fresh coconuts that you can drink the water right out of with a straw. and afterwards, you can take your coconut home and open it up for the meat. it's great scooped right out of the shell or you can use it to make ice cream, smoothies, butter, etc. we also picked up a super cute dress from julia. julia sells adorable tutus, dresses, and organic onesies. i love supporting local artists and vendors. i'll be sure to post a pic of the pandi modeling her new dress soon!

ok, before anyone comments, i realize that these pants are too long for flats. i have noted it and promised to stick with heels in the future. i was trying to keep it casual for a 1-year old's birthday party and even managed to get a nice icing stain on my tank later. (saraya took notes) and thanks to karlie for being my photographer again!

embellished tank: GAP

sweater: GAP

pants: GAP

shoes: Target

ring: Charlotte Russe

necklace: alohaneener**

alohaneener is my name for my handmade creations. it is also where you can find me on twitter.

i also noticed that i am practically a walking advertisment for GAP today and i'm not sure how i feel about that since i'm obviously not being paid by them...

Sunday, April 17, 2011

out to lunch again and enlisted the help of my co-worker/photographer to snap this quick photo outside. i'm tempted to look for some bright yellow tights but i wonder if i should leave that to the teenagers?

Saturday, April 16, 2011

i love harry potter and i am a nerd. this is my harry potter inspired outfit for the day (minus the crazy hermione hair). i used this tutorial to knot the scarf into a prettier tie. i am also attempting to give my stern and serious scholarly look, and failing miserably.

out to lunch and one of my co-workers was gracious enough to humor me as my camerman for the day. it's kind of hard to tell from this picture but the scarf is a really pretty yellow. and i love these earrings because they look like bright little balls of yarn.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

i love urban outfitters. it's such a fun store full of interesting clothes, books, and decor. the closest physical store is 45 minutes away so i don't get to shop there as often as i'd like. until now! there's a new location opening soon just 5 minutes from the house!

in the meantime, i can satiate my urges by checking them out online. and right now they are having a contest that encourages recycling and upcycling. for a chance to win a $1000 gift card to their store, submit a photo of your favorite re-made project and let them know why it's so great. i'm considering entering if i can find a little time. let me know if you enter!

yes, brown boots two days in a row. there's still a chill in the morning so the boots and blazers are nice for layering. i'm also wearing the wide belt again but after some previous comments, it may find itself put out with the pink shirt at the end of this challenge...

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

there's not really much to say about this outfit. it is neither wonderfully exciting, nor is it the worst thing i've subjected you to. on another note, it's all downhill from here! (by that i mean the number of outfits, not the quality. i hope.)

Saturday, April 9, 2011

i got this belt 4 years ago from a little shop on Maui. it was an impulse buy while on vacation with some girlfriends i hadn't seen in a long time. throw in the fact that it was halloween and it was a big girls only party that was so much fun and you can understand why i get a little nostalgic when i wear it.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

but isn't she just beautiful?! i'm so lucky she's such a happy, sweet baby. nearly every time we go to the park, little kids run up to us to say how cute and happy she is. she loves sitting in the grass watching the bigger kids run around and play. their laughter elicits joyful screams and squeals; i can tell she can't wait to join them.